Programmer for household electric machines with improved cam operating mechanism

ABSTRACT

Programmer for mechanical step by step household appliances in which the output pinion of a synchronous reduction motor carries on its axis an eccentric fitted in the middle part of a lever 35 with a circular cam driven by the output pinion and acting on a self-substaining contactor to maintain the power supply of reduction motor during a complete turn of the eccentric when a starting impulse has actually been sent. The rotation of the eccentric making a driving pawl operative or inoperative at the moment when a recess of an internal profile cam 14b is in phases therewith.

United States Patent [1 1 Jullien-Davin I PROGRAMMER FOR HOUSEHOLD ELECTRIC MACHINES WITH IMPROVED CAM OPERATING MECHANISM [75] Inventor: Jean Jullien-Davin, Valence, France [73] Assignee: Crauzet, Paris, France [22] Filed: June 1, 1971 [2]] Appl. N0.: 148,810

[52] 11.8. CI. 200/38 R [51] Int. Cl. 1101b 7/08, l-10lh 43/00 [58] Field of Search 200/38 B, 38 R, 35 R; 307/141.4, 141.8

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,596,015 7/1971 Jullien-Davin 200/38 R 3,319,019 5/1967 Jullien-Davin 200/38 R [111 3,760,129 Sept. 18, 1973 3,373,253 3/1968 Davin 200/38 R 6/1969 Davin 200/38 B X Primary Examiner-J. R. Scott Attorney-Holman & Stern [57] ABSTRACT Programmer for mechanical step by step household appliances in which the output pinion of a synchronous reduction motor carries on its axis an eccentric fitted in the middle part of a lever 35, with a circular cam driven by the output pinion and acting on a selfsustaining contactor to maintain the power supply of reduction motor during a complete turn of the eccentric when a starting impulse has actually been sent. The rotation of the eccentric making a driving pawl operative or inoperative at the moment when a recess A of an internal profile cam 14b is in phases'therewith. v

2 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEDSEPISIW -3'.7$0.129

SHEET 5 0F 5 1 PROGRAMMER FOR HOUSEHOLD ELECTRIC MACHINES WITH IMPROVED CAM OPERATING MECHANISM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a programmer for household electric machines or appliances provided with a reduction motor, for example, such as in US. Pat. No. 3,596,015 issued July 27, 1971.

Such a known mechanical step by step programmer comprises essentially a synchronous reduction motor energized throughout the entire cycle and whose output wheel meshes with the internal teeth of a continuous rotation cam unit, with the unit comprising at least one reversal cam designed to control the alternate rotation of a washing drum and one impulse cam designed to act periodically on a first contactor; a step by step rotation cam unit supporting the programmer cams and at least one selection cam acting at the proper time on a second contactor connected in series with the preced- I ing contactor; driven pawl, mounted on the reduction motor output pinion by means of aneccentric pin acting as a crank pin and whose nose, urged by aspring blade, so as to come into engagement with the internal teeth of the step by step cam unit, can operate only if the feeler head, integral therewith, is in phase with a recess of an internal profile cam supported by the continuous rotation cam unit; and an electromagnet in series with the first contactor designed to act on an arm of the pawl, through a lever, in order to prevent passage of the pitch during certain operations inthe cycle (heating, filling, purge) and in order to prevent or allow it whenever the first and second contactor areclosed (selection of the inverval between pitches).

The use of an electromagnet to render the pawl operative or normally inoperative is, however not without drawbacks in that it generates noises, vibrations, and especially gives rise to a harmful heating effect when its magnetization extends over a certain time, in particular, during a heating period. For these reasons, attempts have already been made to eliminate it by using the second possible direction of rotation of the reduction motor, which direction, in the present case, prevents phase coincidence between the feeler head of the catch and the recess of the internal profile cam and, as a result, passage of the pitch (see, in particular, French patent, No. l 271 264 and No.l 579 497). This solution, however, is applicable only if the pawl is normally operative and if passage of the pitch is to be prevented during the heating, filling and purging operations, i.e.,

until opening of a normally closed control contact (Thermostat Pressostat); it is not applicable if the catch is to be normally inoperative as a result of the use of a normally open control contact or if the interval between pitches is to be programmed.

The object of this invention is also to eliminate the electromagnet but, as opposed to the previous solution, by replacing it by means offering the same possibilities, i.e., which prevent the driving of the cam unit step by step during the heating, filling and purging operations and provide for programming with two possible values of the interval between pitches, with these possibilities being sound for a normally operative pawl (normally closed control contact) or for a normally inoperative pawl (normally open control contact);

SUY OF THE INVENTION The programmer according to the invention comprises a synchronous reduction motor with a set direction of rotation, connected in series with a contactor controlled by an impulse cam and whose output pinion, which supports, on its axis, an eccentric suitably adjusted with respect to/or to one of the lobes comprising the impulse cam, rotates at the same velocity as the one driving the pawl; an intermediate pinion to transfer the direction and velocity of the output pinion to another pinion on, with the a circular cam is set coaxially which circular cam having a notch suitably adjusted with respect to the rest position of the eccentric; a selfsustaining contactor, actuated by the circular cam, connected in parallel with the contactor of the impulse cam and the selection cam contactor, so as to maintain the power supply of the reduction motor during a complete turn of the eccentric when the starting impulse has effectively been transmitted; a lever in mesh with the eccentric through its middle portion, the lever being hinged at one end and carrying at its other end, an end piece which, for a given position of the eccentric, holds back the pawl so as to render, it inoperative and which, for another position of the eccentric, frees the pawl'so as to render it operative.

The characteristics of the invention will appear clearly as a result of thefollowing description in reference to the appended drawing showing:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 a diagrammatic view in which the device according to the invention is used to prevent passage of the pitch during heating operations, with a normally operative pawl FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view in which the device according to the invention is used to program the inverval between pitches, with a normally operative pawl FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrammatic views in which the device according to the invention is used for the same functions as above, but with a normally inoperative pawl FIG. 5 is the programmer as seen from the motor side to illustrate the internal arrangement of the device according to the invention FIG. 6 is a general fragmentary viewof the programmer in the mechanical step-by-step form of construction;

FIG. 7 is a view showing a portion of the mechanical step-by-step mechanism in which certain details are clearly brought out; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are two views located at right angles to each other and showing the mechanical step-by-step pawl.

A known programmer comprises a synchronous reduction motor M, energized throughout the entire cycle and whose output wheel pinion l5 meshes with internal teeth 14a of a continuous rotation cam unit 14, with unit comprising at least one reversal cam (not shown) designed to control the alternate rotation of a washing drum and one impulse cam 14d designed to act periodically on a contactor Ki.

A step by step rotation cam unit 4, supports the programmer cams and at least one selection cam 4s acting at the proper time on a contactor Ks connected in seties-with contactor Ki.

A driving pawl 20 is engaged by its bore 20d over an eccentric pin which is inset at the end of the output pinion 15 is provided with a reciprocating movement. The pawl is provided with a feeler nose 20a for following an internal cam 14b of the cam unit 14, a zone 14b having a longer radius being provided on the internal cam so that the nose 20a may be permitted to engage with an internal set of teeth 4b of the cam unit. In order that the pawl shoud be in the driving direction when the zone 14b comes in front of the nose 20a, teeth 15a of the pinion 15 and internal teeth 14a of the cam unit 1410- cated relative to each other by means of a large tooth 15a which, as it passes, fits within four large corresponding spaces 14a of the teeth 14a.

The device according to the invention comprises, in addition a synchronous reduction motor P with a set direction of rotation connected in series with the impulse contactor Ki and whose output pinion 30, which supports on its axis, an eccentric 31 suitably adjusted with respect to the lobe or to one of the lobes included in impulse cam 14d, rotates at the same velocity as the output pinion l driving the pawl 20. v

An intermediate pinion 32 serves to transfer the direction and velocity of pinion 30 to a pinion 33 on which a circular cam 34 is coaxially positioned, and the circular cam 34 has a notch 34a suitably adjusted with respect to the rest position of eccentric 31.

A self-sustaining contactor 15 connected in parallel with contactors Ki and Ks so as to maintain the power supply of reduction motor P during a complete turn of eccentric 31 when a starting impulse has actually been sent.

A lever 35 in meshing engagement with eccentric 31 through its middle part is hinged at one end 35a and supports on its other end, an end piece 35b which, in a given position of eccentric 31, holds back pawl 20 to render it inoperative and which, in another position of the eccentric frees the pawl so as to render it operative.

As has already been specified, this device makes it possible on the one hand, to prevent driving of the step by step cam unit during heating, filling and purging operations, and on the other hand, to automatically select, from among two possible values, the interval between pitches. However, in order to make the operation more understandable, each of these two possibilities is shown in two separate views, one of which corresponds to the case in which the pawl is normally operative and the other, to the case in which the pawl is normally inoperative.

In FIG. 1, in which passage of the pitch is prevented during heating operations, two thermostats T,T, which are normally closed, are connected between contactors Ki and Ks. Moreover, pawl 20 is normally operative because the rest" position of the eccentric 31 prevents end piece 35b of lever 35 from urging it. Upon examination of this view it can be seen that the impulse required to start reduction motor P can be effective only if Ks occupies, either the low position corresponding to a prewashing temperature (40 C, for example), or the high position corresponding to the washing temperature (90 C, for example). Under these conditions, the eccentric 31 remains at rest when Ks occupies the intermediate position, so that a pitch is driven whenever recess 14b is in phase with the lip of pawl 20. As soon as the selection cam 4s short-circuits thermostat T, in the period during which a programmer cam 4p closes contactor Kc, which energizes heating resistors R (position shown), each impulse sent by Ki effects a one turn rotation of eccentric 31, so that, at the moment at which recess 14b is in phase with pawl 20, eccentric 31, which then, has rotated half a turn, has placed lever 35 in a position of maximum clearance of pawl 20. The pitch is then interrupted until the moment at which the opening of thermostat T, by preventing the transmission of the impulse, provides for the advance of one pitch of the step by step cam unit, is a motion which returning contactor Ks to an intermediate position and contactor Kc to a low position.

In FIG. 2, in which the pawl is normally operative as before, the interval between pitches is programmed by a selection cam 49. In the example shown, the impulse cam 14d comprises three regularly distributed lobes I over 180 and the internal profile cam 14b has four recesses 14b staggered by Under these conditions, if contactor Ks is closed, pawl 20 is rendered inoperative three times per turn of impulse cam 14d, and therefore, there is a passage of pitch per turn of this cam; if contactor Ks is open, impulses from Ki remain without any effect and there are four pitch passages per turn of impulse cam 14d. With an impulse cam having one lobe and an internal profile cam with two recesses, the interval between pitches would correspond to one half turn or one turn of the impulse cam.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, the rest position of eccentric 31 is such that end piece 35b of lever 35 holds back pawl 20, thus rendering it normally inoperative.

The pitch, therefore, can only be driven if eccentric 31 has rotated from its rest position at the moment at which a recess 14 will come forward in phase with pawl 20.

In FIG. 3, in which passage of the pitch is prevented during heating operations, two thennostats T, T, which are normally open, are connected between contactor Ki and a reversing contactor Kt controlled by a programmer cam 4t. Upon examination of the view, it can be seen that when contactor Ks is closed, each impulse drives the rotation of eccentric 31 for one turn and, as a result, effects passage of a pitch. When selection cam 4s opens contactor Ks, a's programmer cams 4t, 4p respectively shortcircuit thermostat T and heating resistors R (position shown), impulses from Ki remain without any effect up to the moment at which closure of T, while transmitting the impulse from Ki, provides for the advance by one pitch of the step by step cam unit, which movement recloses contactors Ks and reopens contactors Kc Kt.

In FIG. 4, the interval between pitches is programmed on the selection cam 4s and contactors Ki Ks are both of the reversing type. In the example shown, the impulse cam 14d comprises three lobes and one notch, which are distributed regularly, and the internal profile cam 14b has four recesses 14b arranged at 90. If the interval between pitches is to correspond to one turn of impulse cam 14d, contactor Ks is placed at a low position; if the interval between pitches is to correspond to a quarter of a turn of the impulse cam, contactor Ks is successively placed at a high position, during three pitches, and then at a low position during one pitch.

FIG. 5 which shows the programmer as seen from the motor side, illustrates the technological arrangement of the improvements. In this figure, only the first pinion and the last pinion of each of the two reduction motors are shown, namely pinions 15 and 30 The output pinion of reduction motor M meshes with internal teeth 14a of the continuous rotation cam unit and supports pawl whose nose 20a can come into engagement with internal teeth 4b of the step by step rotation cam unit. The output pinion of reduction motor P transmits its motion to self-sustaining cam 34 and supports eccentric 31, which, by manoeuvring lever 35, makes it possible to render the pawl operative or inoperative at the time at which recess 14b of the internal profile cam 14b is in phase with end piece 20a of pawl 20.

What I claim is l. A programmer for mechanical step-by-step household electric appliances of the type comprising an impulse cam integral with a continuous rotation cam unit and having at least one lobe for acting periodically on a first contactor, said lobe being adjusted with respect to a recess in an integral profile cam integral with said impulse cam, at least one selection cam integral with a step-by-step rotation cam unit to close, at the proper time, a second contactor connected with said first contactor; the improvement including a driving pawl, a first synchronous reduction motor having a first output pinion driving said pawl, a second synchronous reduction motor connected in series with said first and second contactors, said second motor having a second output pinion, said second output pinion rotating at the same velocity as said first output pinion driving said pawl, an eccentric integral with said second output pinion, said eccentric being positioned with respect to a recess of said internal profile cam, an intermediate pinion mounted for rotation about an axis, said intermediate pinion meshing with said first output pinion of said first synchronous motor and a third pinion, a circular cam on which said third pinion is fixed coaxially, said circular cam having a notch adjusted with respect to a rest position of said eccentric, a self-sustaining contactor connected in parallel with said first and second contactors and maneuvered by said circular cam to maintain the power supply of said reduction motor during a complete turn of said eccentric when, said second contactor being closed, said impulse cam has temporarily closed said first contactor, a lever having opposite ends and middle part, said lever being engaged in said eccentric through said middle part, said lever being hinged at one end, an end piece supported at the other end of said lever, said end piece which, in a given position of said eccentric, holds back said pawl to render said pawl inoperative and which, in another given position of said eccentric, frees said pawl to render said pawl operative.

2. The programmer according to claim 1, wherein, in the rest position, said eccentric can occupy, either a position allowing said pawl to come into meshing engagement with internal teeth of said step-by-step rotation cam unit at the time at which said recess of said internal profile cam comes forward in phase therewith, or a position preventing said pawl from coming into meshing engagement with said internal teeth of said step-bystep rotation cam unit at the moment at which said recess of said internal profile cam comes forward in phase therewith.

UNITED STATES PATENT owner CERTIFECATE @F @QRRECTKUN Patent No. 3 r 760 I Dat d September 18 1973 Inventor(s) JEAN JULLIEN-DAVIN It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the first sheet of the Patent, the Assignees name is misspelled and should. be CROUZET no right of Priority is shown, however, the proper Priority is Frame 70 21 220-, filed June 8, 1970,

Signed and sealed this 16th day of April l97l+fl (SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD MoFLETCl-ffififlfim (3,, MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM Po'mso (10.69) uscoMM-oc 60376-1 69 u-S, GOVERNMENT PRINTlNG OFFCE 1959 0-(366-334 UNITED STATES PATENT @FFHQE CERTIFECATE @F CRMON Patent N0. 37,760,129 Dated September 18,

Inventor(s) JEAN JULLIEN-DAVIN It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the first sheet of the Patent, the Assignees name is misspelled and should be CROUZE'I no right of Priority is shown, however, the proper" Priority is France 70 21 220', filed June a, 1970.,

Signed and sealed this 16th day of April 197%.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD MJ LETCI-IERJRQ G0 MARSHALL DAWN Attesting; Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM PO-105O (10-69) USCO4MM DC 6o376 p69 u.s. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1969 0-366-334 

1. A programmer for mechanical step-by-step household electric appliances of the type comprising an impulse cam integral with a continuous rotation cam unit and having at least one lobe for acting periodically on a first contactor, said lobe being adjusted with respect to a recess in an integral profile cam integral with said impulse cam, at least one selection cam integral with a step-by-step rotation cam unit to close, at the proper time, a second contactor connected with said first contactor; the improvement including a driving pawl, a first synchronous reduction motor having a first output pinion driving said pawl, a second synchronous reduction motor connected in series with said first and second contactors, said second motor having a second output pinion, said second output pinion rotating at the same velocity as said first output pinion driving said pawl, an eccentric integral with said second output pinion, said eccentric being positioned with respect to a recess of said internal profile cam, an intermediate pinion mounted for rotation about an axis, said intermediate pinion meshing with said first output pinion of said first synchronous motor and a third pinion, a circular cam on which said third pinion is fixed coaxially, said circular cam having a notch adjusted with respect to a rest position of said eccentric, a self-sustaining contactor connected in parallel with said first and second contactors and maneuvered by said circular cam to maintain the power supply of said reduction motor during a complete turn of said eccentric when, said second contactor being closed, said impulse cam has temporarily closed said first contactor, a lever having opposite ends and middle part, said lever being engaged in said eccentric through said middle part, said lever being hinged at one end, an end piece supported at the other end of said lever, said end piece which, in a given position of said eccentric, holds back said pawl to render said pawl inoperative and which, in another given position of said eccentric, frees said pawl to render said pawl operative.
 2. The programmer according to claim 1, wherein, in the ''''rest'''' position, said eccentric can occupy, either a position allowing said pawl to come into meshing engagement with internal teeth of said step-by-step rotation cam unit at the time at which said recess of said internal profile cam comes forward in phase therewith, or a position preventing said pawl from coming into meshing engagement with said internal teeth of said step-by-step rotation cam unit at the moment at which said recess of said internal profile cam comes forward in phase therewith. 